Bite Into This Classic Croque Monsieur for a Taste of France

Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Kristina Vanni Start by preparing the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale and foamy, about 3 minutes. Kristina Vanni Gradually add the milk, stirring until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thick and somewhat elastic, about 4 minutes. Kristina Vanni Remove from the heat and whisk in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and nutmeg. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Kristina Vanni To assemble the croque monsieur, place four slices of the bread on the prepared baking sheet. Spread these bread slices with half of the béchamel sauce. Kristina Vanni Top each slice of bread with the ham and half of the Gruyere cheese. Kristina Vanni Top with the remaining four slices of bread and cover each of them with the remaining béchamel sauce. Kristina Vanni Top with the remaining Gruyere cheese and sprinkle with herbes de Provence, if desired. Bake until cheese is brown and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Kristina Vanni Enjoy warm.